


Follow You To Dust (Shame On You)

by WindVoid6



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Family Feels, Heavy Angst, Hurt Ben Hargreeves, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt Number Five | The Boy, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26736796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindVoid6/pseuds/WindVoid6
Summary: Five doesn’t leave the mansion alone. Klaus and Ben are sick of Reginald and follow him in sue of some kind of a adventure.Five said he wanted to time travel, well that’s what happened. He didn’t go alone.Or,Three kids in a post- apocalypse world trying to survive with looming sobriety, dangerous powers and tension. Don’t forget the end of the world.
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Ben Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 10
Kudos: 117





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> ah. This.
> 
> Obv will continue this as well as my other main.

“I _want_ to time travel.” He always wanted time travel.

Nothing was special about that. It’s all Five did.

Outwardly piss dad off and talk about time travel.

Some days, it was entertaining- made the sound of the news and forks and spoons clashing a little less irritating. Sometimes it put everyone on edge. It put _Klaus_ on edge.

That was because of the possible punishments of Five acting out. Reginald Hargreeves was good with those.

Klaus’s routine was the mausoleum, for example. He dreads even thinking about it. About screaming himself raw and accidentally scratching himself to bleed. About seeing gore that isn’t supposed to be seen by any being and having the purest possible rage, directed to him out of all people. All he does is roll blunts under the table and smoke them when their dad isn’t looking. He wishes no one goes through what he does- or anything close. Maybe his siblings already do.

He just doesn’t understand why Five is basically asking to go through torture. It leaves Klaus so dissembled he can’t think and he only gets sent to mausoleum because he scared, what would Five get for backchatting dad?

Who knows? Not Klaus but Five always likes the ‘extra training’ whatever that may be.

He leaned under the table, his head hidden behind Allison’s thin figure although he knows that his curls are probably still in dads line of sight. 

A girl howled behind his chair, Ben had already sent him a number of confused and worried looks for flinching at the unheard cries of bloody murder and accusations.

**”Why won’t YOU HELP ME!!!?”**

She looked around his age. Her pale skin making the blood around her neck and chin shine a little brighter, her messy long brown hair covering her eyes (although he saw them once, an empty blue that was probably as bright as the sky when she was alive) and a red stained white dress. Sure, she was dead but that was no reason to ruin his dinner and every other part of his day.

Klaus lit the end of the paper and stuck the lighter back into his pocket while taking a deep breath of the weed. He closed his eyes and welcomed the smoke into his lungs. He let the peace take over until little miss howler screeched at the ignorance.

”-Number Five!”

Klaus’s head bashed against the table in surprise and he yelped. He coughed up the smoke- choked on the smoke and prayed that Reginald wouldn’t notice the fumes of weed.

Nobody was looking at his though, all of them focused on their food except for dad and Vanya. They were watching Five run right out the door.

Five was leaving. Five was _escaping_.

And all Klaus could think about was the opportunity.

**”YOU’RE USELESS! где моя мать?** **”** Her mother was years dead and she killed her own child. The girl had said so multiple times but seems to forget every time.

Klaus wanted out. He didn’t want to sit in a crypt and be forced to listen to pleads and sob stories. He didn’t want to be trapped with dad. He didn’t want to be Number Four. He wanted to wear skirts.

It was an unconscious decision what came next. A rush of adrenaline and a rush of emotions. He couldn’t of stopped his body if he tried.

Klaus kicked back his chair and bounced to his feet. Earning the rest of his siblings glares and- and Reginalds.

He’d be back. Him and Five would get a taco or something from Mexico in the 1960’s- if they existed then that is- and be back before dad could get his panties in a twist.

His gaze stopped onto Ben out of all of them. The young Asian shook his head fiercely and-

_“Can we go home now?”_

_”I don’t want to. It’s not fair...”_

_”I didn’t mean to! There’s so many...”_

_“Klaus? Do you like it here?”_

No.

He smirked and ran around the table to grab the small boy by the wrist and pulled him out of his chair and yanked him to his feet.

Ben’s face was riddled with astonishment as he struggled to keep himself from stumbling.

”Number Four! Number Six! Get back here!”

”Klaus!” ah. Diego. He couldn’t leave Diego right? He was one of his best friends. It would be mean and selfish but his father was already on his feet trying to block their path.

Klaus used his long legs to dash pass the old man, Ben in tow.

”Number Four! There will be consequences!” 

He grinned and flicked his cigarette at the feet of Reginald while blowing him a kiss while catching Diego’s eye, he only saw fear and confusion and he snatched his head away.

He ran through the open doors and let Ben go as he pulled the doors shut behind him. He shoved down the festering guilt and a smirk stretched across his face. He’d be back... 

”Klaus, what are you _doing_?” Ben cussed.

”Come on, Benny. Live a little.”

”We have to go back inside...”

”Urgh, tell me you like it there!” Klaus spun on him and grabbed the shorter boys shoulders.  
  
“I-“ His mouth hung open with a lack of words.

”My point exactly, hey- hey Five!” Ben mumbled a ‘wait’ as he pulled away.

“Klaus? Go back inside.” Ben grabbed at his arm to pull him away but Klaus yanked it back and skipped his way over to the boy on the pavement.

” _Klaus_!” 

”Fivey, spare me your oh’ viciousness. We can go play with robots or shit.” Five stared at him with narrowed eyes before sighing in defeat and grabbing his palm.

”Urgh...” Five cringed at the sweat being pressed against his hand.

”Bennyy...”

”If we get in trouble I’m blaming you.”

”Be my guest because I’m bringing back a tank.” Klaus snatched up Ben’s hand and pulled the most tooth showing grin in history. More out of his own rush of excitement than his brothers reassurance.

”I don’t know if I can do all of us, especially time travelling.”

”Number Five!”

”Five, _Fivey,_ hurry up.”

Five bounced on his feet and took a deep breath.

In. Out.

He _ran,_ dragging his brothers behind.

A tingle ran down Klaus’s spine as Fives palms glowed blue in his own, it was exhilarating.

”Hold on!”

Everything went away. The clouds vanishing and instead being replaced with white surroundings. Klaus’s stomached flipped on itself and he gagged with his mouth staying shut. The illness dropped away as soon as it was there though, just a distant fog in the back of his mind.

He stuck his tongue out and laughed as a drop of snow glueing itself to his tongue. Ben didn’t seem so enthusiastic. Especially as he stumbled on the ice concrete.

Five hissed and cringed in concentration.

Warmth attacked his skin, leaving pins and needles in its wake. Ben wheezed in the corner of his eye, and nobody spared them a glance. 

Klaus added a skip into his step until he slipped forward and was yanked down in a blurry blue mess. A whimper escaped his lips and pain soared through forehead. His ears rang immediately and his hands flew up to cover up the sound as he rolled off of the concrete he fell on. He blinked his eyes open, and his breath slipped right out.

He lay on a ground of concrete with a flame dancing on a building in front of him. 

“What the fu-“ He wheezed on the ash.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I’d kick it off with a Five POV, since I couldn’t find a way to bring this to life with another character. POVs will change frequently though, cuz I’m just like that.
> 
> This will get proof read and changed a little more tomorrow so chill.

Two minutes and Five quickly learned that time travel did not lead to what he had ever imagined. In that moment, he also learned that he never really had an idea for it in the first place. All he knew was that he had to prove _dad_ wrong.

He had to prove himself to Reginald. Such a tiny thing that he hadn’t realised was driving him off the walls. To anyone else, it must be a pitiful thing to know someone who wanted to prove themselves to that sort of man.

Maybe it was the academy. Naively, he always saw it being something that would branch out to more and more supernatural children and stupidly he saw of it being a thing that would last forever without thinking about it. Not his siblings being hero’s but more or less the actual building and its memories and potential.

All of that was swiftly put down to realism the moment he skidded to his hands and knees.

He winced as his bare knees scraped against what was seen to be bricks and debris. That wasn’t the problem though and his head quickly snapped up to stare. To _just_ stare. He had felt something was wrong as soon as landed. Especially with the massive hint of the _stench_. It was so intoxicating that a gag fell silently.

This wasn’t some change in weather or an advance in technology- this was destruction.

Houses, buildings, cars- everything in his sight was on fire so viciously that it seemed like a beast. Everything was contorted into something only a person could have nightmares about. Ash spluttered onto his face and he pulled his shaky hands up to fiercely wipe his eyes as they burned.

”What the _fu_ -“ He whipped his head over to the voice. His bleary eyes immediately caught onto his curly headed brother curled up wheezing and his shorter brother dry heaving with his hands over his stomach behind him.

 _Right_. He brought them here ( ~~wherever~~ whenever here was). Guilty enough, he thought he should be relieved to not be alone. In honesty, he couldn’t tell.

His body shook in time with his heartbeat as he glanced back over to the destruction. They weren’t supposed to see this. They _couldn’t_ see this because this couldn’t of happened.

 _Clearly it did_. The taunting voice in his head mocked.

Despite every agonising tendon in his body, he pushed himself slowly and wobbly to his feet. He wasn’t trusting the queasiness in stomach to use his powers (he’s not sure he wants to either).

Wind whipped across his face sending the heat from the flames biting at him and he put a hand over his eyes as his breaths came in short flashes as he looked around at all destroyed buildings; he hurriedly rushed over to nowhere in particular.

“How-“ He stumbled over his feet and cut himself off as he was met with a ball. A pocket sized ball that was too shiny to be a tennis ball and too intact to be normal here. His eyes widened in horror as he locked onto fingers- tainted fingers clutched around the eye as if it were a relic or prize. His curiously got the best of him though as he gingerly pinched the ball with his thumb and index and slipped it out of the persons ruff hand. It wasn’t that hard since they were... dead. Clearly. 

Five rolled it in his palm and his heart _stopped_. A brown pupil stared at him. Red-blood covering the green tints. He grasped the eye tightly in his hand and he pulled at the hand wedged between the bricks- he ignored the obnoxiously large size of them and of how ridiculously hairy they were. It didn’t budge. He tried again. It didn’t budge.

He collapsed against the debris on his back and closed his eyes as he focused on the rush of his heart. _In, out. In, out_. He chewed his bottom lip so that he could ground himself from the looming panic. He had to wait.

”Oh my god- _ugh_ \- what happened? What- this how- what....” That’s why he had to wait. The panic lingering on Ben’s voice was tempting to respond to but he scrubbed a hand down his face instead. 

“Five?! Are you okay? What the hell is this?” Five opened his eyes because of the trace of Ben’s hot breath glazed on his cheek and was met with the boys worried and frantic eyes. 

” _Well_ \- I’m fine _thank you._ ” There’s the other brother he brought along. Ben seemed to ignore him, with his eyes only stuck on Five.

“M’ fine.” He mumbled out, panic swelling at his voice. What if- 

What if the academy- what if the city, wasn’t as all immortal as it was cracked up to be? Where was his siblings? The Academy? 

”Where are we?” He shifted himself to sit up, mainly because of the confusion and paranoia making him struggle to breathe. He sucked his bottom lip between his clenched teeth and Ben followed his gaze to the hand. His brothers eyes instantly widened and his mouth hung open in silent questioning and horror.

That was also when Klaus decided to scream. 

A frightened sound caught in his throat more than anything. Five flinched from instinct (and probably just his overactive nerves) and darted to his brother who was kicking his way from a pile of bricks as if it were to bite him. On any other occasion, Five would’ve shrugged it off and called for Diego or Ben- it happens all the time.

Klaus’s looked genuinely terrified now. Not in the way that he was always scared- or haunted for the right wording- but like the time Reginald spat in his face _‘You’ll be mute for six weeks, Number Four_ ’.

Klaus shuddered and trembled his way to Ben’s side while his eyes flickered from the building to the pile. ”What- what-what did _you do_?”

An unfair accusation. Five didn’t cause this. Also, an unfair question since Five didn’t know the answer either. He felt closed up. Whether it was the ash or his brothers crowding to his side, he couldn’t breathe.

Five watched as bright, wide green glossed eyes stared at him before locking onto the hand beside of him. 

“Who is that?”

”I don’t know.”

”Can we go home now?” Five licked his lips and crawled his way back to the hand. The blood stained fingertips were hard to notice and he doubts he’ll feel it under all the hair but Five felt his stomach retch as he took it tightly in his own. Klaus had started removing bricks from the upper part of the figures body and chucking them to the side while Five pulled.

Ben had resorted himself to staring down at the hand with a pained grimace. This shouldn’t be so hard, they’ve dealt with far more bodies than this but even Five can’t ignore the rush of his blood to his ears. 

_‘We’ll leave soon...’_ His voice whispered in the back of his head.

Klaus threw a brick to the side and a dirt smudged, blood stained face is below them. Eyes closed, a scrubby beard and blond hair tousled. They don’t look familiar but something about him makes Fives insides run cold. He imagines it does for Ben and Klaus too, as they’re both staring with unreadable eyes and their blinks and movements slow and sluggish.

“He’s- he’s holding another persons hand.” Ben pointed where the ape like man was, in fact holding another’s. Five swiped off the bricks covering his arm and wrist while Ben and Klaus scraped off debris to reveal the head of the other body.

The other hand was small and dark with elegant features which suggested it was a woman, treated royally as her hand was held inside a big fist as if it were to protect her with such a small gesture against havoc.

Five also flashed a look to his brothers, both faces were as crumpled and heart broken as he felt. He blinked away the haunting familiarity and pulled the woman’s hand; the skin rough and dry with death so horrid that Five purposely coughed to cover up a gag. Their bodies also _reeked_.

Long, curly, black and blond locks fell against the bricks as Five let go; her hair was a pillow for her sharp face and protection for her head (although, the dried blood down her temple meant that it was no use anyway). 

Hellish horror slowly crept up the back of Klaus’s mind and he couldn’t do anything but stare as he tried to connect the dots. Maybe it was the way they died that was just pulling at his heart strings? It made no sense. A sturdy blond, a brown beautiful girl...

No.

 _No_.

No- they just looked like his sister and brother right? Last he checked Allison and Luther weren’t _so_ old and- and it was just a coincidence they were in the ruins of the supposed Academy by the umbrella logo doors barely standing up next to them. It’s. Not. _Them_.

The image of the body from earlier crept into his memories and Klaus’s breath came in gasps as he scrambled away from the two strangers and to where he fell. He leaps onto the pile and puts both of his hands on either side of the mans face trapped beneath his.

A shaky breath escapes him because there’s a scar. **The** scar. A slit in his eyebrow (an unfamiliar one across his hairline onto his cheek). Klaus wildly scans the body for something- anything to prove him to god he’s wrong. He completely froze when his eyes cast onto the only other part of the man that’s not buried. His arm.

On that arm, there’s an umbrella. 

Klaus stared at his own hovering hand and the umbrella etched into his own skin.

”No-no-no-nonononono. Diego? _Diego_!? You’re fine, you’re okay, we’ll get you help, okay?” He’s yelling it. He knows. He also knows that behind him are Allison and Luther. Klaus _knows_ , that the water welling up in his eyes were unstoppable so he doesn’t try to hold the tears back. He just lets them go and chokes on his own sobs while he’s at it.

Ben froze. ‘ _Diego_?!’ His now sobbing brother had said. Diego... 

Number Six couldn’t move but stared intently at Klaus as he slouched over ‘Diego’s’ body and whispered phrases Ben could not hear. He wouldn’t believe it, didn’t believe it but the way he saw his brothers hands clench into ‘Number Twos’ hair as if to ground himself sent Ben over the edge. He snapped back to the two bodies he kneeled beside, the odd sense of familiarity sneaking back.

”Oh...” he mumbled while his heart beat stretched to his ears. “Five- Five! Can we go back? Can we go home now? Please!” He tried to keep the panic out of his voice but it was painfully obvious. 

_How? How did this happen?_

_”Five!”_ He snapped, finally gaining the other boys attention as his head twisted sharply to him with wide eyes and a wobbly bottom lip.

”Yes.” Five rushed while snatching up Ben’s hand and leaning back to yank Klaus’s arm up while point blank avoiding the third body. Klaus hiccuped but made no move to take his arm away. 

Ben squeezed shut his eyes and waited and waited- and waited. He pried his eyes open impatiently as Fives fists glowed a luring blue. A sigh of relief bubbled in his chest. They could warn their siblings and stop this from ever happening.

(They don’t even know how it happened)

(Or, when)

...the blue sizzled out quickly after.

So did Ben’s self control.

”Five!”

”I-I can’t.” Terror and bewilderment laced his voice.

“ _Try_ again.” Five scrunched up his face and-

_one. two. three. four. five. six. seven..._

There wasn’t even a glow. There was none of that power sitting in his stomach. There was nothing to pull forth on. There was just a deep pit. 

“Five-“

”I can’t.” He whispered quiet and scared. Five let both of their brothers limbs slip away as he closed his eyes and put his hands on his knees. Ben wanted to yell, to shout at him to try harder. That this wasn’t a joke.

When a tear rolled gently and smoothly down his brothers ashen, sweated face... it showed that he was giving up. How could he give up?

”Five!”

The boy stared forward blankly with the tears still flowing out of his eyes and whispered. “It’s gone.”

“Five! Take us back, Five! _You_ got us here!!” Ben reached back out to roughly yank the the others hand back in his own.

“I can’t.” His voice cracked and Ben’s jaw dropped. Of course he can. He got them here he can get them back. Powers don’t just disappear and also, he’s Five. 

“...you have to.” Five’s heartbroken little nod pushed Ben off the edge and he tossed Fives hand out of his own and against his chest.

He shifted and curled his knees up to his chest and looked to Klaus who was silently shaking against the debris crushing their brothers chest. Ben wanted to reach out to him; for the both of them.

Instead, he rested his forehead against his knees. Breathing quick and his lips uncontrollably shaking as tears threatened to spill. The only thing that was keeping him from letting them was his concentration. The Horror churned painfully and sickly in his stomach; out for blood for their siblings killers. For once, Ben agreed.

***

They sat silently for what felt like an hour. 

Until, Ben had started twitching across at Klaus in anger. Five could feel his watery, fiery eyes piercing him too.

”We should do something.” He mumbled as he stared solemnly down to he ground. He hoped that was the right thing to say because he also couldn’t bear the presence of their dead siblings anymore as well as the silence of his alive ones. Five had also realised that Vanya hadn’t been among them; or they just hadn’t found her yet. Maybe-by some hope that she survived despite the fact that probably most of the town hadn’t.

Klaus had his arms outstretched over his knees and didn’t take his eyes off the ground. He’d vomited once. Ben grimaced and his posture pulled tightly together as he looked Five dead in the eye.

”Like _what_?” He whispered, a growl bordering on his voice.

”I don-don’t know. We could bury them...” Five winced back at his own words.

”How are we supposed to get them out let alone dig graves!?” Ben cursed. A flick and a flame tore Five over to where Klaus glared at the ignited lighter in his hands. Ben followed his gaze and reeled back as if struck as the realisation dawned on him.

”No! Nonono! We’re not gonna burn them! We can’t! What if-“

”Ben we are stuck.” He said through grinding teeth.

Ben sobbed in response. ”No!! _Their our siblings_!” 

”We’ll bury them, okay!” Five snapped his head to Klaus who was grimacing viciously with a glare. The mere thought of seeing the rest of their siblings broken bodies and covering them in dirt made his stomach twist with sickness. Dribbles of dirt falling onto Allison’s face from the edges of her hole...

Five glowered at Klaus in betrayal.

None of them made a move to make progress for their plan.

***

”Vanya!!”

”Shes not here, _moron_.”

”Nobody is here Ben, because you’re not looking!” Ben kicked at the debris and growled. 

“Well what do _you_ suppose we do?”

”Oh geesh... I don’t know, be useful so Five here can get us back?”

”I can’t get us back!” He snapped; venom dripped from his voice and he twisted to stand in front of his taller brother with his fists clenched. Klaus had been murmuring nonsense to himself the whole walk, talking about Five getting them back.

Klaus frowned at him with his eyebrows knitted together in confusion; tear stains evident from the mud on his face. Either his brother was entirely stupid, or entirely trying to piss him off.

”You tried- what? Once?”

”I don’t see you conjuring anyone and asking what the hell happened!” Klaus eyes widened and narrowed with spite laced in the emerald lines. Five caught onto the flash of fear as soon as it was gone. He hit a nerve. How could _that_ hit a nerve?

He snarled with his fists balled at his sides. “Because _why should I_?”

Five blinked and only saw red.

He yelled as he swung his fist blindly.

Klaus cried with a hand clutched at his mouth. His brother stumbled back in betrayal and hysteria.

Five pulled back as the noise and stared at his fist with blood smeared on his knuckles. Blood leaked from the open cut on Klaus’s lip and Five just stared with wide eyes like a man with amnesia.

He punched his brother. Klaus. Sure, he had it coming but something felt entirely, terribly wrong about it. Five recognised it as immediate guilt. How? He’s punched all of his siblings before (exclusion of Vanya) either for training or before they chose to irritate him. What’s different now?

”I’m-“ He stumbled out glancing at his other brother for some sort of comment. Ben avoided his gaze and stood off to the side looking down at his scratched shoes.

”The-There’s a market down the street,” _if it’s still there_. “We should go there.” _If they were even on the right path._.. 

Five practically ran his way in front of his siblings and kept his eyes firmly ahead as he walked past a shattered flat. He could still feel Klaus’s eyes of surprise and confusion, if he couldn’t see them- he could imagine they’re not there. Just like the countless rotting bodies they walked past.

***

The supermarket- by some miracle, was standing. Not really standing but it had a roof with a couple holes but that was better than the rest of the town.

Five still felt the burning guilt retching his eyes and stomach. The awkward silence was not making it better; it reminded him that he had done something wrong. He’d almost felt tempted to tell them to take supplies but nothing came out as his brothers snapped to their own ways as soon as walking through the battered door.

All he had to do was get them through the first night without anything even worse happening. 

_‘Because why should I_?’ Five had replayed it over and over in his head trying to make sense to it. Was Klaus just being sly? Selfish? Or one of those drastic scenes he makes for attention? On that note, the guilt subsides but it stays since Five still doesn’t _understand_. Did he regret punching his brother? Probably not. He just wished he hadn’t at the same time.

Five had nothing to carry anything in and he wandered along the dis-formed tills to find something. He scooped up a ‘save the earth’ bag and decided it’s better than nothing and head down the aisle.

How long has this food been here? Who knows.

Frozen food would be disgusting and uncooked and likely poison them, fridge-rated the same thing. Reginald once taught them the key to survival with food would be tinned and shelf dry foods.

With a near full bag of bottles of water and tinned fruit (he doesn’t want it either) he hopped onto the cashiers chair and pulled the bag onto his lap. He wondered how long all of this happened ago in this timeline. The bodies were still semi-recent so that means a few days at most. If he had been a few days before now, could he have saved them?

For once he hates the silence. Everyone here was dead. Why wasn’t anyone from anywhere else coming to help? Five refused- denied to believe such an impossible thing such as everyone dead in Canada (or worldwide). It’s ridiculous and impossible.

Luther and Allison’s older faces flash into his vision and Five squeezes his eyes shut and hugged the bag close. No matter how hard he tried to shove the picture down all he’s left with is Allison’s hazel _dead_ eyes. He didn’t see Diego. He didn’t want to. He only got a glimpse at his knife wielding brothers crushed figure.

He’s breathing a little too quickly. He knows that, but he doesn’t want to calm down. His two brothers and sister are dead (god knows what happened to Vanya) and everything is ruins. He already cried earlier and it was expected... he didn’t want to but wanted to at the same time. The fragile rope of sanity was slowly breaking off its threads.

Silent sobs wracked his body as he huddled on the chair. 

***

”Are you done?” Klaus whispered quiet enough for his words to slur. Ben shoved a croissant into his pocket and took a harsh breath as he shook his head.

”Okay.” No comment then?

”You?”

”Ye-yeah.” Ben didn’t move and neither did Klaus as they stood next to each other and stared empty shelf and floor. Although, it was very tempting. Ben just wanted Klaus to work up the guts and spit out what he was thinking; he had that look. Where he’s waiting.

“Ben?” He forced his eyes onto his brothers grime covered face and busted lip which was being bit on. He wasn’t surprised when Five hit him. It was almost like Klaus was asking for it.

”Do....” maybe he got the message from Ben’s face. “Do you hate me?” Guess he hadn’t then. Klaus’s eyebrows were drawn up in a sense of vulnerability and his bright green eyes were a void or hope and misery. He wasn’t going to deal with Klaus’s anxiousness now.

Ben was still deciding that himself. By the constant anger he felt burning and nagging at him- Ben wouldn’t say it’s not looking too good. Since Klaus did-

Ben cheek twitched and he spun on his footing to stomp away. He deftly swiped the tears blurring his vision away and stormed down the aisle. Klaus would come to him and Five in a minute.

***

Five bit down harshly on his bottom lip as a gentle hand touched his shoulder. He already knew it was Ben but it was so light and shy that if he forgot about everything else he could imagine Vanya...

Oh sweet Vanya. She had shook her head at him. She tried to stop Five from making this mistake and he should’ve listened. She could still be alive right? If she wasn’t then that’s a topic Five isn’t wiling to get into.

Klaus was still sulking he supposed. On any other occasion, Five would check in- make sure his brother isn’t mid way to being kidnapped or having some dramatic scene. No need for that anymore.

“Can we move? It’s-“ empty. Too empty. “Cold.” His voice shudders ever so slightly and he hated it but Ben is generous enough not to mention it. In the second that Ben turned away to inspect the shop; Five wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. How is he even cold? Everything is... everything is on fire.

“There’s a closet.” Ben points out, while Five follows his staring to the back of the supermarket where a (janitor?) closet or room is. Five just wanted somewhere that isn’t the outside world; somewhere that gave him just the little bit of sanity he needed to recollect his thoughts,

Five whispered in reply. ”Yeah.”

His voice was still hoarse from the earlier crying. 

***

It was in fact a closet.

Surprisingly, it was also the only part of the market that had all four walls and a roof intact. Each brother had claimed their own corner. Ben had snapped his fingers at Klaus (who was staring at the broken alcohol bottles with a grimace on his face) and gestured for him to come over. It had been not a single sound since then.

It was also not getting any darker by the seems of it. Maybe they just arrived at the early sunrise but sleeping with the blinding light of the sun on your face was nearly impossible for most. Five had leapt at the chance to close the closet door- the darkness seemed so appealing right then. His eyes felt incredibly heavy (probably from the crying) and his limbs aches as he dropped himself onto a far corner, Ben just next to him, Klaus opposite Ben by the door leaning against a shelf that had been tipped over but was now back on its struggling feet. It was bound to be uncomfortable physically and mentally. Five did punch his brother and send them all to a time where everyone nearby is dead.

They’d wake up, and it’d all be okay- better than today. That is only if they don’t bury their siblings tomorrow. The thought makes Five want to gag.

Klaus was loud, an attention seeker and dramatic. He obviously must of been upset but now? A bit pushy. Bit too much (-Five still hasn’t apologised but-). Five, as much as he wanted his eccentric brother to say anything, also wanted nothing at all.

Fives eyes eventually closed and his mind went distant to the darkness and emptiness. He had used all his will to get rid of the images his mind produced- Vanya shaking her head frantically at him- Allison and Luther holding hands under the table and Herr Carlson talking in the background as the rest of them stayed in silence.

There was a creak and shuffling.

Quiet and croaking.

The door opened and a bolt of light exploded onto his left closed eye. Five twitched but ignored it. A groan hovered on his lips but didn’t spill.

He ignored that knowledge sitting on the back of his brain: Klaus was always scared of the dark...

With the tiredness already haven took over most of his body, Five drifted to a trembling, haunting sleep. Or had he already? He couldn’t recall.

Allison once told him people always feel better when they wake up. They get over things. They want to start the day new too.

_”You know it’s not true what they say...” She froze and licked her lips as she sighed. “That me and Luther are always together. If you need anything- completely stupid or not, you can always come to me.”_

_”I don’t need anyone. I can handle myself.” She pursed her lips and shook her head with a dismissive huff._

_”Of course. The lone wolf.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t wanna be a brat but the reason the brothers were freaking out was because they didn’t know what to do more than anything else. But yes, dead siblings very high on the list.
> 
> Btw MERRY CHRISTMAS!Also thank you for all the comments! I love replying to you guys so feel free to rant about anything and your thoughts on this.
> 
> Quick something: I have annoying habit of saying I’ll start a schedule... and it never happens. So I’ve decided that I want my stories to be more of a hobby than a chore to write, and so the updating will be pretty random but not months apart.

**Author's Note:**

> Let’s just say that Ben = not happy.


End file.
